


Alternate Decision Making

by wonderlandiscrumbling



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Gen, Violence, season four, slight gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-03-22
Packaged: 2019-04-06 16:12:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14060637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderlandiscrumbling/pseuds/wonderlandiscrumbling
Summary: Ed decides the least he can do before checking himself into Arkham is to accompany Lee in her meeting with Sofia Falcone.





	Alternate Decision Making

The premise of dying was tempting, more than tempting. His hands had been sweating and trembling as he had made the noose for himself, a lump in his throat causing his breathing to become labored. Each time he considered going back he thought of Lee, he thought of Oswald, Isabella, and everybody else he had hurt or nearly hurt. Deep down he’d known Oswald was right, that in the end either he or Riddler would have hurt Isabella, just like Riddler now threatened to kill Lee, to make him deal with the aftermath of that crime. 

Death at this current time he presumed was not in the cards for him, for either of them. He left the rope dangling from the ceiling, watching as it slowly swayed like a recently abandoned swing on a playground. Chills ran down his spine as he walked away, fingers feeling numb, and his legs heavy as if they were weighted down with bricks. He’d decided to join Lee for her meeting with Falcone, he felt he owed her at least that sort of moral and business support before he shipped himself off to Arkham.

The moment they entered the room for the agreed upon meeting nothing had felt right. He’d felt in a sense it was a setup, but he knew this was what Lee needed to do. A part of him trusted her, trusted that she knew what she was doing. He put faith in her similar to the faith he had always put in Oswald, this sense of blindly following even if it was straight into danger. It shouldn’t have come to no surprise to him when a gun was pulled, when the man standing to his left was shot in the stomach. Ed immediately jumped, panic shooting through him, he made to run towards Lee, to get her away from Sofia, but the gun went off again. This time a searing white hot pain shot through his knee and up his leg, he screamed out in agony before dropping to the ground clutching his knee, blood seeping between his fingers. He groaned, breaths coming out in heavy pants as he closed his eyes tightly.

“Ed!”

He felt hands on him, he heard Lee speaking to him, but couldn’t make out the words she was saying. He opened his eyes looking up at her, his vision blurry. She placed a hand against his cheek, fingers stroking against his sweat soaked skin.

“It’s okay, I’ll get you help.”

He watched as somebody grabbed her by her arm roughly grabbing her away from him and dragging her back towards the table. Despite the pain he pulled himself to his feet, his injured leg dragging as he moved towards where they were holding her, his eyes set on Sofia. He didn’t even realize what he was going to do, he had no plan, just a deep seated panic of what might happen if he didn’t at least try to stop them. 

Sofia smiled as she watched him, dark eyes now trained on him. She ran her fingers over the smooth handle of the hammer as she hummed.

“Him too” She said pointing the hammer in Ed’s direction.

The second man grabbed him, kicking him in the knee before dragging his now limp and shaking form towards the table. The man grabbed hold of Ed’s left wrist forcing his arm out and his hand onto the table. He weakly struggled, mumbling incoherently, the pain and blood loss making his struggling weakened half attempts. 

“Stop, he needs to see a doctor, he needs to go to a hospital. This doesn’t have anything to do with him, just let him go.” She pleaded looking from Ed to Sofia.

“Hm I suppose you’re right. I should start with you.” 

Sofia held her wrist tightly with one hand, bringing the hammer down with the other. An intensity in dark brown eyes as she repeatedly slammed the hammer full force against the top of Lee’s hand, the doctor’s screams a wonderful symphony to her ears as she watched her flesh split and mangle, blood gushing from opened wounds. Ed was screaming again, thrashing and kicking back against the brute of a man who was holding him down, his screams nearly matching Lee’s in volume. Curses and threats that were nothing more than empty promises. She ceased breaking her hand once the screams turned to whimpers and sobs, the woman who a moment ago held her head up high now slumped against the table crying and shaking as she went into shock. Sofia turned to Ed smiling at the man, his glasses askew, hair sweat soaked and stuck to his forehead. There was a rage in his dark eyes as he stared up at her, a challenge that made her want to laugh.

“Now normally I’d just shoot him.” She said pressing the head of the hammer against his forehead, blood smearing onto his pale flushed skin, she smiled as he flinched away from her. “But since it seems he’s a bit more than a henchman for you, I should make this fair. Consider this an act of kindness, you don’t have to thank me.” 

More screams filled the room as she brought the hammer down against his hand. She felt disappointed at the lack of passion in his screams, his voice hoarse. He coughed and gagged, sobbing and shaking as she busted his knuckles. Lee began screaming and threatening again, fighting despite the searing blinding pain in her own hand. The man holding her down forcing her head to the side, so she had to watch the scene unfolding next to her. Ed rested his forehead against his arm sobbing, body tense. 

She dropped the hammer onto the floor as she stepped back to look at the two before her, she forced a smile as she ordered them to throw the two of them into the street for the rest of the Narrows to see, a lesson to be learned as well as a statement on who now ruled over them.

Ed was practically incoherent as his body hit the sidewalk, Lee rushed to his side fishing his cell phone out of his pocket. She fought through the shaking and pain long enough to dial for an ambulance. She spent the time waiting sitting next to him, pulling him up onto her lap and holding him against her, quietly begging him not to die on her, she needed him.

At the hospital she requested that they share a room. A small part of her was paranoid that somehow Sofia would send somebody in to kill Ed or to kill her, she reasoned it was safer if they could share a room together. The doctors had told her they were lucky to get there when they did, he had gone into shock, he’d lost a lot of blood, and apparently there had been a lethal cocktail of drugs in his system. She had told them repeatedly that she knew nothing about his habits when it came to prescriptions or recreational drug usage, as far as she had known he had never taken any form of drug legal or otherwise. They told her that with physical therapy his leg would heal more than likely. Their hands had been the same story, medication, surgeries, and physical therapy would be needed for a long time. 

Alone in the room she’d found herself at his bedside ignoring the advice to stay in her own bed. She felt strongly that what happened had been her fault. She should have known that Sofia wasn’t right, that she wasn’t like Carmine or Cherry or Penguin, the way she ran things was irrational and intense. There was no room to talk or reason or bargain. She knew she should have told Ed that he didn’t need to be there, it hadn’t been safe, but she’d told him it would be. She brushed strands of hair from his face, her fingers gently stroking against his cheek.

“Ed, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you come with me.” She whispered as she looked at his sleeping form.

She thought about their last actual conversation. She thought about how suddenly nervous he had been, she swallowed hard remembering that look in his eyes, this absolute pleading as if he needed her to just see what he was trying to convey. She moved her hand to rest against his bandage one. 

She smiled sadly as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you too” she whispered to a quiet room.


End file.
